Vending-tray.



WL. I.HALL.

VENDINGTRAY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. 1915.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

575er u?" W. l. HALL.

- VENDING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE l1. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1,173,506. y Patented Feb.29,1916.

, provide a trav tain ne7 and STATES PATENT, crision-AIM winnen. J. HALL, or PHILADELPHIA, rnNNsrLvAmn.

verveine-TRAY. y

.To alla/)imm t mag/'concern' y 13e it known that I, 'WILBER' J. HALL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county vof Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented ceruseful Improvements in Vending-Trays, of which the following vis a speelication. l.

My invention relates to trays and particularly to trays adapted for use in vending eatable's in public. places, such as railway depots, trains, ball parks and the like.

- `More specifically vending vending icc cream conesin 'places ofthe character mentioned. y

Thewprimaiy object of m'y invention is to proyide a tra-y fory the purpose mentioned which will 29 preserve the cones, :filled for sale, A further afterV being for extended periods of time.

which will effectively protect the articles ',from dust, dirt.` and cinders and at the' same time present the articles toview inV an atj tractive manner. f

` A further object of myv invention is to provide adispensing tray of the character stated having' a lid` or closure of such construction that the closure may be held in open position by the hand 'supporting the device so as to leave the other hand of the dispenser free t'o remove, the articles from the tray, to collect the etc.

A further object of my invention is to providea device asmcntioned which Will efectually prevent the articles to be vended from coming' in contact with the persons or clothing of the persons patronizing the place of sale.

Further objects of my invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned which may be readily kept clean and also to provide means for holding the closure o r closures in open position Without manuallyV supporting` 4the same While lling thedevice foruse.

Otherv objects will appear hereinafter.

. ith these objects in vieW my invention `consists generallyina comparatively shaloW-'tra`y `vvith ah ousing supported above the saines()'asftolexclude .free access of air to thecasingand' tray and meansfor supw terial such asy glass my invention relates to mounting` the closures trays especiallyadapted for use 1n object of my invention is toA of the .character mentioned price, to make change,

' ranged upon the inner porting,` the articles to be vended'iwitliinthe same. i

My invention-further consistsin a'deviee, as mentioned further characterized by hago" ing the housing?l formed-'of transparent ma? and equipped with a '60 closure, preferablyhinged whereby access may be readily had to the interior thereof, forremovingthe articles. t

y invention viding a device characterized above stated with an, arched handle, Yin vhingedly and equipping the. closures with handles, which Whentlie-elo sures `are .-..raised, are in position to Vbe; grasped by Athe lingers ci the hand holding the arched handle. y f Y f `-My invention raised position during the process of' filling My 'invention will be more readily iinderstood by Yreifer-ence to the accompanying dra/Wings, forming a part of this specification and in-which- Figure 1 is a ing tray embodying my invention, a vertical longitudinal section of the saine,v Fig. 3 is a horizontal section takenthrongh the housing and with portions being broken l away to better illustra-tc the construction, Fig. l is a perspective view l Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating the 'preferred form of the means for holding the closures in raised ing lthe process of filling the-device.

eferri-ng now to the drawings, l ,indi-k catesthe tray vproper which constitutes'the bottom of a" hollow body preferably of sheet metal', and open atthe top; The tray l is conii paratively shallow and consists ofthe bottom 2, side Walls 3 'and end Walls 4.

faces of the wars e.

y Y Patented Feb; 29, 1.916. applicati@ mea .rune 11,1915. serial' no. 33,427.

the device and'which 'comprisesjf vfurther consists in -prbl i further 4consists in a dis- -pens1ng /tray as above stated furtherl 'equipped with meansupon thearched sup-4 porting handle for holdingthe closures' inf'b 'the device, said means beingl preferablyrei particularlyV pointed out in the perspective View of avend- Fig. "2 `is y.

'of the housing removed from the tray proper and illus a5 position dur 'l and 4, slightly below the upper edges thereof is a continuous, preferably substantially horizontal flange 5 adapted to support the housing hereinafter described. In order t0 reinforce the flange and to facilitate cleans ing the device a reinforcing angularly disposed portion 6 is formed on the flange, the upper edge of which is flush with the inner edge of the flange 5 and the lower edge of which his secured to the adjacent Walls 2 and 3 below the flange as shown in the drawing. Preferably the Harige 5 and reinforcing portion 6 are formed of a single strip of sheet metal bent into V-form and having the free edges thereof soldered or otherwise secured to the wallsof thetray. With this eonstruetionit is obvious that the tray may be quickly and thoroughly rinsed and by tilting the saine all of the wash water will be discharged as it is impossible for any portion thereof to lodge beneath the flange. The tray 1 is equipped with an arched, centrally disposed liandle-7 to facilitate carrying the device.

8 indi lates the housing which preferably comprises a skeleton metal frame having side and end panels formed of glass or similar transparent material 'and a transparent top closure, the bottom heilig open. The housing is of a length and breadth slightly less than the corresponding inner dimensions of the tray l so that the lower edges thereof may rest upon the flanges 5.

9 indicates the skeleton frame formed of metal ch nnel strips and 10-10 indicate the side and end panels of glass having their edges arranged within the channeled frame members. CentrallyY of the sides of the hou'sings are a pair of ears 11 formed on supporting strips 1:2 secured to the frame members l), and 'extending transverselyv across the housing between the ears 11 is a hinge pin or rod 13. l llingedly mounted upon the rod 13 are a pair of closures consisting of skeleton iframes 1l and glass panels 15. The Vframes 14 are formed with depending flanges lll which fitsnugly over the upper edges of the frame 9 when the closures are in lowered or closed position. llaeh of -the hinged elosures'is provided with a handle l 17 to facilitate raising the same. These handles are preferallv arranged at the center of the free outer edgeof the closure and the distance from the hinged pin 11 to said han- Vdles is preferably substantially the same 4as the 'distance from the hinge pin to the center of the arched handle 7, so that when said closures are aised the handleslf may be held by the fingers of the hand grasping the handle 7. y f l d To hold the closures in open position dur- -ing the process of fillme` without necissitating manually1 holding tfie same, I provide a split ring 18 which is adapted to encircle the obvious that when not in use the .split ring may be readily removed from the device.

Arranged within the housing is an article` supporting member 19 which, when the device is intended for vending ice cram cones, comprises a` horizontal member provided with a plurality of' openings 20 to receive the ends of the cones as shown in the drawings. This member is preferably supported by angle plates or brackets .l fixed to the lower members 9 of the frame at the corners. See Figs. 3 and 4. The member 19 is preferably a sheet metal plate provided with the openings '20 and the edges of thc plate surrounding said openings are preferably upset forming annular depending flanges 22 to prevent injury to the cones.

From the above description it is lobvious that ice cream cones placed within the device will be kept in salahle condition for extended periods of time. evenin warm weather and close atmospheres. This is particularly desirable when vending cones at railway depots as the cones may be prepared in advance of the arrival of a -train and will remain in condition even though the train may be considerably late in arriving. Also the housing fully protects the cones or any other material therein from becoming containinated by dust.` cinders or other foreign matter. It should also be noted that the housing rests loosely between the upper ends of 4the side and end walls so that the same may be readily 'removed to permit cleaning of the device; however` on account of the continuity of the flange 5 air is excluded from entering between the side wallsiof the tray 1 and the lower portion of the housing. With the construction set forth additional refrigerant'is not necessaryr to keep lthe cones in condition for a reasonable length of, time as the frozen cream is suflife'nt to lower the temperature within the` device to a sufficient degree for this purpose as all air isexcluded except when the closures are momentarily raised to remove a cone.

I claim 1. A vending tray comprising a shallow lower member provided with an upwardlv projecting handle. a housing onen at the hottom and having its `onen lower portion 4fitting within the unperpart of said lower member, a hinged closure for the top of said housing. a haudleonysaid closure. said handle whensaid clfis "eis in raised position. being inproximitvtothe first said handle whereby both of said'handles may begrasped .simultaneously with one hand, substantially as described. A

`2. A vending tray comprising a shallow lo'wer member open at the t0p a horizontally disposed flange `arranged upon the inner' faces of the walls of said `lower memberadjacent'the upper edge thereof and handles? and 17 as shown in F 5. It is provides with a dowgtwardly inclined re.

A 1.17am 1 inforeing portion extending .fromithe free edge of the flange and having its lower end secured to the walls of said bottom member beneath 'said flange and a lhousing resting upon said flange, `substantially as described.

3. A vending tray comprising a shallow lower member open at the top, supporting members within said lower member, a housing resting upon said 'and comprising a skeleton frame and trans-4 pareIitApaneIS, the top of Said housing comprsing a pair of transparent hinged clo- `Sures, substanti-allyas described. 4. A vending tray comprising abottoin. member open at the top land a handle ar ranged centrally thereofand spanning the same, a housing lopen at the bottom and havingits lower portion resting Within said bottom member,i Said housing being open at the top, a pair of closures for the opeir upper end of said housing, said closures being hinged adjacent said handle, 'and a hanlle-en ,eaeh of said closures adapted to swing into position adjacent the first said hainlle when said-closures are raised, substantially as described. l j y 5. A vending ti'ay ,comprising la bottom member open at the top 'and a handle ar- A rangcdcentrally thereof and spanning the saine, a housing open at the bottom and hav'- ing its lower portion resting within said bottoni member, said housing being open-at the top, a pair of closures for the openl iip per .end oi saidhousing, said closures being hinged adjacent' said handle, a handle on each of said closuresadapted to swing into position adjacent the iii-st said handle when said closures are raised, and means on the iii-st said handle l'or engaging the handles on the closures, substantially as described.

(i. lA vending tray comprising a bottom member open at the top and a yhandle ai-V ranged centrally thcreol and spanning the same,a housing open at the bottom and having its' lower portion resting within said bottom member, said housingl being open` at the top,r a pair of closures ior the open nppcr end of saidliousing, said closures being* hinged adjacent said handle, va handle on supporting members V same,1a housing open at ing its lower portion resting within said ving upon said Jneans within the lower each' ofsnid clos-lires adapted to swing into ,position adjacent the rst`said handlev when said' closures are raised, and a4 detachable member adapted tol be positionedon the first said handleand to engagetlie handles' on the closures when the latter are in raised p0- sition, substantially as described. i

7. A vending traycomprisinga bottom member open a`t the topand a handle arf ranged centrallythei'eof and spanningd the the bottom and havbottoin member, said housing being open at the top,'a pair of closures for the openupper endotsaid housing, said closuresbeing handle,.a handle on adapted' to swing into first said handle when hinged adjacent said cachot" said closures position ad]acent the said closures` are raised, and a split, ring adapted to ,v encircleallot' said handles simultaneously, substantially as described.

8. A vendingitray for ice cream c ones comprising a bottom member provided with a Vsupporting flange within the same, a trans# parent housing llange,.an opening in said said opening, and

housing, a closure for portion of said housopen at the bottom and resting for supporting a 'ilurality of cones, substantially as described.

.9. A vending tray comprisinga bottom member provided with a supporting ilangc within the same, a transparent housing open at thev bottom and reste ing upon said flange,- h'ousing, a closure for said opening, brackets at the-lower 'edge of saidv housing, and,

v"wiiiinm J.' HALL.

Witnesses: l

JNO. SoiiLuYi-iii, Tiios. Il. INonAM.

for ice cream lcones an opening in Said" a; horizontally 'disposed plate resting upon saftl brackets and provided with apcrturesto re 

